WRONG
by Kaliner
Summary: Larten meets Arra while he is engaged to a girl in France. He is full vampire, and Arra is half vampire.   He falls in love with her. She falls in love with him.
1. Chapter 1

WRONG

"Get back here, you worthless girl!" A man's booming voice rang throughout the house. The girl didn't stop to look back. Her tears ran down her cheeks as she opened the door and burst through.

"You ungrateful brat!" A woman yelled, her voice almost as terrifying as the man's. A young girl, around the age of ten or eleven in her nightgown, peeked through the door, a bear in her right hand.

"Arra, where are you going?" She asked, lip quivering as her sister ran through the rain. Arra managed to look over her shoulder, just to catch one last glimpse of her younger sister.

"I'm sorry; I can't stay here any longer!" She called. "I'm so sorry, Ellen!"

"Fine, leave!" Her mother shrieked at the top of her lungs, shutting the door to keep Ellen inside.

Arra kept on running, not caring that it was freezing cold and she was soaked to the bone. Ever since they've moved to France, her parents have been more and more unbearable. Her running was cut short when she ran into someone, causing her to fall backwards on her behind. "

"Ow," she said.

"Oh, my apologies, miss," a man said, helping her up. She stared at him in astonishment; he had bright orange hair, pale white skin, a scar running down the left side of his face, and he was wearing a red cloak. She has seen many people with pale skin and cloaks, but they never had orange hair or scars.

"Yeah, sure," she replied, keeping her eyes on his face. "What's up with your face?" That caught him off-guard. She reddened. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to sound rude."

"It is alright. Most people are put off my appearance. Now, may I ask you why you were out in the rain?"

"Oh…" She looked around hoping for some lie she could feed him. "I was playing tag with my siblings!"

"At this hour?"

"Um… Yeah; we like going out late."

"Perhaps, I should take you home," he offered, holding out his hand.

"No!" Arra said immediately. She closed her mouth and remained silent, fearing she gave him too much information on her home life. "I mean, the night's young! I don't want to turn inyet!" He raised his eyebrows at her, showing he was not convinced.

"Okay, then," he said; if she didn't want to tell him anything, then he had no right trying to force it out of her. "At least allow me to take to fiancé's house so you could get warmed up."

"Like I'm going to trust a complete stranger," Arra said sarcastically crossing her fingers and staring at him with her emerald eyes. He smiled.

"You may think I am a stranger, miss, but I am not," he said, raising his fingers to reveal to her his ten scarred fingertips. She gasped loudly when she saw them, and involuntary, raised her own to compare.

"You're a vampire?" She asked in disbelief, looking from his fingers to his face.

"Yes."

"Are you full or what?" He nodded. "I'm only half. My mentor, Mika Ver Leth, left a few months ago for some trial up at Vampire Mountain. I stayed with my parents when that happened."

"Ah, yes, I know Mika Ver Leth. My mentor is Seba Nile."

"What's your name?"

"Larten Crepsley," he replied; he thought he was going to give him a fake name, but he found he couldn't.

"Arra Sails," she told him.

"Well, Miss Sails, will you now take me up on my offer?" Larten offered her his arm, and Arra took it, with her frown fading into a smile. "Are you sure you would rather come with me? Is your home not acceptable?"

"I'll never go back," she growled, kicking a rock beneath her feet.

"You were abused," he concluded. She said nothing, but he knew it was the truth. "Then, you must come with me." She huffed. "What?"

"I'm not a lost puppy."

"Of course you are not. You are far too beautiful to be a lost puppy."

She blushed; this guy sure knew how to charm the ladies, didn't he? But, he was just humoring her. He had a fiancé.

He led her through the now vacant streets of the city to a large house with an iron gate around it. He chuckled when he saw Arra stare up with huge eyes.

"Never see a house this big before?" Larten asked.

"No," she said, shaking her head.

He opened the gates and took her through the front door. The inside was even bigger, and the candles were shining brightly.

"Vur, is that you?" A woman's voice came from another room.

"Vur?" Arra whispered to Larten.

"It is a fake name," he replied. "Do not tell her and do not mention vampires in this house; she does not know of my bloodline." Arra nodded; she would hate to ruin his relationship with this girl because of her stupidity.

"Yes, Elizabeth, it is me," Larten called out. Elizabeth came into view. She was a slender woman with blonde hair tied neatly in a bun and wearing a long powdery blue dress; she had a book in her right hand.

"Who is she?" Elizabeth asked when she saw Arra, who was still clinging to Larten's arm. Arra noticed it and immediately wrenched it away.

"My name is Arra Sails," she replied. "I'm sorry if I'm being an inconvenience."

"I found her in the rain," Larten explained to his fiancé who kept her eyes on Arra. "She comes from an abusive home, and is need of someplace to sleep."

"Oh. Oh, of course," she said, putting her free hand on her heart to express her sympathy. "Of course you can stay." She dropped her book and put both hands on Arra's shoulders. "Vur, I have unfortunate news."

"And what is that, darling?"

"My sister, Hannah, has come down with some sort of illness. I must go to her."

"I understand," Larten replied.

"You two stay out of trouble. Joseph will be here in the morning to serve."

"Thank you," Arra said, bowing to Elizabeth. Your hospitality is much appreciated."

"You are quite welcome, Miss Sails." She kissed Larten gently on the lips. "I will be back in a couple of days." Elizabeth smiled at them and went into the carriage, which took off.

Larten shut the door and turned to Arra, who was shivering.

"Do you want to take a bath?" He asked. She nodded, teeth chattering. "This way." He took her upstairs into a room where a large basin was in the middle.

"Thank you. I can handle everything," she told him. He nodded, walking off.

He was almost downstairs when he realized that there weren't any towels up there. He grabbed a bundle from the cupboard and walked into the room, thinking that she couldn't have possibly gotten undressed that fast. However, he was wrong.

She was undressing, her dress almost all the way off.

"What are you doing?" She shrieked, closing her dress before he could see anything. His face had gone completely red.

"I am so s-sorry!" He stammered. "I realized there were not any towels, and so I went to get some, and… Oh, just take them, please!" He dropped the towels on the floor and left the room.

Larten kept himself downstairs in his favorite chair, trying to tell his heart to calm down. He had just walked on a girl he just met, and what's worse, his heart was going crazy! He was engaged, and now he was being disloyal.

"No, this is normal," he said to himself. "I am fine. I am fine."

"Larten?" Arra asked from upstairs.

"Y-yes?" He asked.

"Do you have anything for me to wear?"

"Damn it. Coming!" He grabbed a nightgown and undergarments from Elizabeth's drawers. He gently tapped on the door, and she opened it. Her towel was wrapped around her body, water dripping from her pale shoulders. He didn't look at her as he handed her the clothes.

"Thanks," she said.

"You are welcome." He stepped outside, waiting for her.

Moments later, she emerged, her hair tied up into a long ponytail, wearing a green nightgown that matched her eyes.

Arra followed Larten downstairs, and they each took a seat in an armchair by the fire. He got up to make tea and a plate of sweets. He set them on the round table in the middle of the two chairs.

"So, Larten," Arra spoke first, breaking the awkward silence, "since your fiancé isn't here, can we talk about vampires?"

"I suppose we can," he replied before taking a sip of tea. "What do you want to know?"

"How long ago were you blooded?"

"About fifteen years ago. I only became full two or three years prior to today. How about you?"

"Six years ago. So, he will take a while to blood me fully."

"That probably will be the case."

"Unless…" She said, looking to him with her big eyes, "you blood me." He coughed on his tea.

"Miss Sails, I do not think I should be the one to do that; I do not know you that well." _Though I feel like I have known you all my life_, he thought.

"Oh," Arra said, the disappointment not hard to detect in her voice.

"I am sorry," Larten said. "I truly would like to help you, but I do not believe it to be my place."

"N-no, I understand," she told him. "Is being a vampire hard? I mean, have you gone to a trial?"

"One. And it is hard. I was put to the test to so many vampires, and I lost every single match. I came into the Mountain full of cockiness; I learned my lesson. When you go to a trial, make sure you are not too confident in your abilities, because someone will prove you otherwise."

"I don't have any confidence in myself. I mean, Mika did praise me often when we would practice, but I don't think I am strong."

"You were strong enough to leave your home," he told her. "That takes a lot of strength, if I do say so myself."

Larten got out of his seat, and opened the curtains. The night sky was beginning to lighten.

"I am afraid I have to head off to bed," he said, closing the curtains and turning to face her. "Dawn is approaching."

"Oh. What should I do while you sleep?" Arra asked, feeling nervous that she would be all alone in a big house.

"Whatever suits your fancy." He pointed to a large cupboard a few feet away from where they were sitting. "There are some stuff in there; hobbies that Elizabeth enjoy indulging herself in."

He was about to go upstairs, but he was stopped by the sound of crying.

Arra's hands were gripping her knees and tears were spilling onto to them.

"Arra," Larten said, stepping toward her. "Are you alright?"

She pulled down the shoulder of the dress to reveal red marks. The marks made by her parents over so many years.

"I just started thinking about it, and I just started sobbing," Arra said, kicking her legs. "I am so weak, aren't I?"

"No, no. Not at all." He kneeled down next to her armchair, gently pushing hair out of her teary eyes.

"I'm weak," she said, ignoring his answer. "I'm weak, I'm ugly, and I'm just a disgrace!"

"Arra, you are none of those things," Larten told her firmly, thumbing away her tears. She ran out of the room and upstairs into the first room she could find which happened to be his and Elizabeth's room. She flung onto the white bed with pink flowers and sobbed into a giant soft pillow. Larten sat next to her, feeling extremely sorry for the girl.

"Arra, you must not think such horrible things about yourself. From what I have seen, you are a strong, beautiful, honorable young woman." Then, she did something that completely surprised him; she threw herself into his arms, sobbing into his chest. When she came to her senses, she quickly pulled away, mumbling her apologies over and over again until she was silenced by Larten, who wrapped his arms around her and held her protectively.

"La…Larten?" Arra asked with uncertainty.

"Shh," he shushed her, stroking her long black hair with his fingertips. "Everything is alright, I promise."

"You promise?" She asked with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"I promise," he repeated. _For some reason I feel as though I have to protect her. I do not know why; I just have to. _

And with that, she fell asleep in his arms, and he stayed with her, thanking the Vampire Gods that Elizabeth was out.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Arra awoke around midday, her head resting on Larten's chest while he snoozed peacefully. She blushed red and forced his arm of her, which was wrapped around her waist.

"What the hell did I do last night?" She asked horrified. "Hey, Larten, wake up." She poked him once or twice until he finally stirred awake.

"Hmm?" He asked groggily. "Oh, what time is it?"

"It's midday," she told him.

"Why are you waking me up? I do not get up until night."

"I know, but why I was sleeping next to you?"

"Oh, uh…" He reddened around his throat and sat up, rubbing his orange hair with his right hand. "Well, you were crying last night, and you came in here. I was comforting you, and you fell asleep. Nothing happened, I swear!"

"You were… comforting me?" She asked, her voice soft.

"Y-yes."

"Thank you." She smiled, leaning to kiss him gently on the cheek. "No one has ever done anything like this for me."

"Mood swings much?" He chuckled, though his heart was pounding at softness and warmness of her lips.

"Haha, very funny."

"I try."

"Well, you're going to sleep right?" He nodded. "Do you need food?"

"Not right now. I am sure Joseph has already gone home; our chefs are on vacation."

"I can make you something!" She said.

"You cook?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, why? Is that so shocking?"

"N-no. I just… never mind…"

"You have a habit of putting your foot in your mouth, don't you? Well, I can cook, so I can make you something!"

Before he had a chance to reply, she was already running out of the room, planning on what she was going to make him for dinner.

Since it was about two or three, Arra was thankful that she didn't have to wait too long for Larten to wake up. During that time, she sat in the large armchair and read some Shakespeare that was on the shelf.

Once or twice she would put the book down, yawn, and doze off for a couple of minutes.

When she finally got to Hamlet's famous soliloquy, it was dark enough outside for Larten to move around freely.

"To be or not to be," he said out loud as she was murmuring the speech to herself. "That is the question."

"You know Hamlet?" Arra asked.

"But, of course," Larten replied with a smile. "It is one of the best pieces of work ever written after all."

"Do you want to read it with me?" She asked, holding the book out to him, growing confused at the sight of his flushed face and nervous expression. "What's the matter?"

"I… I cannot read," he admitted shamefully. Before she could question this, he said, "I was born in a really poor town. I was put to work at the age of eight and never received a proper education. But, I am more interested in you, Arra. You can read?"

"Yes. No one else in my family can, but I wanted to prove myself that I could do it, and I learned. I was only in a school for a short time, but I did it."

"That is very honorable," he said with admiration.

She smiled proudly at his words. No one has ever showed any type of admiration toward her before. Her parents accused her of thinking she was too good for them, and her friends thought the same way.

"Well, I better get started on your dinner," Arra said, trying hard not to show her pride. She went into the kitchen and searched for ingredients. She was pleased when she found almost everything she needed.

Her family was poor, so they didn't have much meat, but Elizabeth and Larten were obviously very wealthy and she was able to find many different things that she would never have in her house.

She grimaced; why did she refer to it as "her" house? She doesn't live there anymore, and there was no hell she was going back. At her thought of her parents' house, another thought arose in her head. Where was she going to go? She couldn't stay here with them forever; it wouldn't be right.

"I'll have to talk to him about that," she mumbled, cutting the meat into tiny pieces with a small knife.

While Arra was preparing dinner, Larten had in his hands in his lap, musing.

Why did he run into Arra? Why did he take her home? Why did Elizabeth just happen to leave the night Arra came? Perhaps, it was fate or destiny. But, he shook that thought of his head; he took her home because of his kind nature. And Elizabeth leaving was just a coincidence.

Something about her made him wonder if he was doing right being engaged to Elizabeth. Something in him said that if he had met Arra first, she would be the main woman in his life, but he disregarded the thoughts going through his brain and heart, and tried to focus on the future. It wasn't impossible for a vampire and a human to get married. So, why was he worrying so much?

Arra came out moments later, holding a bowl of stew which was steaming. She set it on the round table between the two chairs, realized that their tea from the night before was still there, took them and set them on the counter.

"Thank you," Larten said, taking the bowl in his hands and eating the contents. "It is rather good."

"You were expecting anything less?" She asked, her hand on her hip.

"No, of course not."

"Good!" Arra sat down in the chair with her own bowl of stew in her hands. "I'm glad you like it. Can I ask you a question, Larten?"

"Technically, you already asked me a question," Larten said after he had just swallowed another spoonful; he smiled at her.

"Fine, then can I ask two questions?" She asked with an exasperated sigh holding two fingers up.

"Well, you have already asked one, but what is your other one?"

"How long have you been with Elizabeth?"

He sighed, setting down his bowl and musing on the question.

"I met her about six months ago," he explained. "I saw her walking through the streets of Paris, and I was compelled by her beauty. I was able to woo her into falling for me as well. We have been engaged for three months."

"You knew her for three months before you got engaged?" She cried out, thinking that most people got engaged by the time they knew the person for a year.

"I knew she was the one," he simply said. _But, you are sort of making me doubt that_. "Have…" He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Have you ever had a significant other?"

"Huh… Um…" Arra glanced over to the floor, blushing with embarrassment. "I used to be with this one guy who lived in my neighborhood. I thought he was the greatest person ever, but he turned out to be a jerk."

"How so?"

"He pretended to love me as much as I loved him. He only wanted one thing, and he got angry when I wouldn't give it to him." She smiled sadly. "I just some guys aren't faithful."

"It is a shame when that happens," Larten agreed.

"You're different," Arra said.

"D-different?"

"Yeah. You seem like a faithful type of guy." She shook her head, chuckling. "I don't know what I'm talking about." She got out of the chair and sat cross-legged on the floor. Larten did the same.

"We are connected," he told her as he raised her hands; their fingertips balanced off each other. "After your stay is over, I know we will meet each other again."

Arra said nothing; she only stared at their hands and him.

They seemed to be indulged in the moment, and they leaned forward until their lips were a centimeter away from each other. For a second, he thought he would catch his act and stop it before anything happened, but his heart was commanding him to go for it. He gently caressed her lips with his own and she deepened the kiss.

The kiss lasted for a few moments until the door opened.

"Vur!" Elizabeth called. "I'm home!"

They broke the kiss quickly before Elizabeth came into the room. Larten quickly got into his chair to avoid suspicions.

"It turns out that Hannah's illness wasn't too serious. She was up on her feet this morning! How did everything go here?"

"Fine," Larten answered quickly. "Just fine." His face was red, but Elizabeth made notice of it. She merely smiled at him while setting down her bags on the sofa.

"Excuse me?" A drawling voice came from the hallway leading to the front door. Elizabeth left the door open while she was taking in her things. Before anyone could ask who it was, he already walked into the drawing room. He was wearing a black cloak, his black hair was hanging over his shoulders, and he had a somber expression on his face. He looked like a raven.

"What are you…?" Larten asked, stepping toward him.

"Lar…" Mika began to say before Larten pulled him away into the other room. "What's the big idea?"

"Do not call me by that name," he told him quietly. "My fiancé does not know what I am and does not know my real name."

"Oh, getting tangled with the humans, are we?" Mika asked with a slight smirk. "How would Seba react?"

"It is none of Seba's business," Larten growled. "I am no longer under his influence; it is time I lived my own life."

"That is true," he agreed. "I am here for Arra. The trial ended and so I figured I would get my assistant back. I considered going to her house, but decided to use our telepathy in order to locate her in case she left. And I found her."

"Come in the other room. Just do not call me 'Larten.'"

Larten and Mika returned to the drawing room.

"Vur, who is this?" Elizabeth asked, staring intently at the raven-like stranger.

"My name is Mika Ver Leth," Mika replied. When Larten shot a glare at him, he whispered, "I feel no need to hide my name. I am the guardian of Miss Arra Sails," he said aloud, pointing to Arra, who was balancing from foot to foot nervously.

"If you are her guardian, then you must have been abusing her!" Elizabeth shrieked.

"No, there is a difference between guardian and parent, miss. I am her mentor. In other words, I am a teacher. She is under my control, but I was away on business, and she was required to stay with her parents. I thank you for taking care of her until I returned. Arra," he turned to her, "we must be off."

"Where are we going?" She asked a hint of desperation in her voice.

"You will find out," he replied.

"Goodbye, Elizabeth, Vur," Arra said, bowing. She cringed inside when she called Larten 'Vur.' "Thank you for everything. And I wish you all the happiness in the world."

"You are quite welcome," Elizabeth said, hugging her. "I wish I could've been here for your stay. It would've been nice to talk with you."

"Oh, I'm still wearing your gown," she said when they broke away, looking down at her attire.

"Nonsense," Elizabeth said, holding up a hand. "You may keep it."

"Your other dress is dry," Larten said. "I will be right back." He left upstairs and came back with a bundle of clothes; he handed them to Arra. She thanked him and took them from her hands. There was a short meeting of the eyes, but no one seemed to notice or care.

"Come, Arra," Mika said, taking her hand and leading her away.

Larten watched them the doorway, his lips tingling from their kiss, until they were out of sight.

"Are you okay?" Elizabeth asked, placing a shoulder on his shoulder, causing him to jump slightly. "Sorry!"

"I am fine," he replied, rubbing his eyes with his knuckles.

"Did you get to speak with Arra?"

"We did speak. We spoke about our lives. And I told her how I met you, and how I was intoxicated by your beauty." Elizabeth smiled as Larten wrapped his arms around her and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Your lips taste different," she said. His heart jumped in his throat at her words; did she know? "Haha, they taste like stew." His heart relaxed and he let out a sigh of relief. "Is there any more?"

"Stew? Yes." He took her hand, smiling at her and leading her into the kitchen, where the pot of stew was sitting.

Author's Note: I'm sorry that I only put two chapters before they started falling for each other. I'm not very good at writing love stories.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Arra glanced around nervously as she walked through the streets with Mika by her side. She held onto his arm, afraid of anything that may happen. Every now and then he would look over his shoulder at and sigh with annoyance.

About an hour later, he kneeled down, made sure nobody was around, and motioned for her to climb onto his back.  
"Come on," he told her impatiently when she was taking her time walking over to him. She sighed and climbed onto his back. He ran a little, then began flitting.

The world blurred around her. Usually, she would love to feel the breeze on her face and see the blurs running past them, but she didn't feel like it today; too much on her mind.

Mika slowed down to a stop in front of a small building. It wasn't in great condition, but it wasn't horrible either.

Arra slid of his back, observing the place.  
"What do you think?" He asked.

"It's fine," Arra replied, looking closely at some chipping wood on the front door. "Not great, but it'll do."

"Arra, I'm not a simpleton."

She turned to him, surprised.

"I never thought you were, Mika."

"I could clearly see the affection in both of your eyes." She blushed. "I hit it right on, didn't I?"

"It was n-nothing," she stammered.

"Did you kiss?"

"Mika! How would you ask…?"

"Answer the question."

"Yes. But, it was a little kiss!"

"Arra, I'm not prying into your personal life, but Larten is engaged," he told as though she didn't already know; that angered her.

"I know that!" Arra snapped. "It was the heat of the moment; we both got a little carried away. I'm not going to get in the way of his relationship."

"You still have feelings for him," Mika concluded.

"A little bit," she admitted, twiddling her fingers. "But, it's nothing. Nothing."

"What made you fall for him in the first place?" He was interested, but she didn't know why. When she didn't say anything, he went inside their building and sat down on an old couch that was against the back wall. She joined him. "Well?"

"Out of nowhere, I began crying. About my parents. I was just sobbing my eyes out, calling myself a disgrace. And he comforted me. He told me I wasn't a disgrace, that I was honorable. He held me and shushed me as he whispered these comforting words into my ear." She smiled at the memory; it happened only one night ago, but it felt like a lifetime to her.

"I could do that," Mika muttered darkly.

"Sorry, what?"

"Nothing." He sighed deeply, wondering how long is feelings would be kept in the dark. Already, he was growing jealous of Larten, though he knew the relationship could go nowhere. Arra knew that keeping up a relationship would be wrong. But, starting a relationship up with her mentor wouldn't be so wrong. They've known each other long enough; he was sure she had some sort of feelings for him. "Arra?" He asked, surprised by the courage that just randomly started growing in his chest.

"Yes?" She asked, staring at the broken window of the building.

"Well, you and I have known each other for a while, haven't we?"

"Yes, I suppose we have."

"People who have known each other for a long period of time usually develop feelings for one another." She turned to him, eyebrows raised at his words.

"Where are you going with this, Mika?" Arra asked coolly.

"You know what? Never mind."

"Mika, tell me what's on your mind." She stared at him with such an intensity in her eyes that he was forced to tell her.

"I have feelings for you," he said quickly, a pinkness developing on his pale cheeks.

"F-feelings? Like a crush?"

"I suppose, but I feel it's deeper than that." He coughed into his fist uncomfortably.

"Mika…" Arra shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I don't feel that way. You're my mentor, you know?"

"Oh, yes, I understand," Mika said, cracking his knuckles. "Don't think that your relationship with _him _is going to go anywhere, Arra. It's just a dream that's never going to come true."

"What the hell?" She gasped. "I don't believe that at all, Mika. I know it's useless, and my feelings are minimal. They will pass."

"You do know that that was not the only time you will see him. He's a vampire, Arra. That means he's going to council in the Mountain sometime. And sometime, I'm going to be taking you." He pointed to her with his index finger.

"Leave me alone," she muttered. Mika scoffed, getting up from the couch and going to another room with a coffin.  
Arra looked at the bundle of clothes in her arms and set it down next to her. She noticed something hard between the fabrics of her dress. She unwrapped it and found a copy of Hamlet.

She smiled, opening the book and began reading the "to be or not to be" speech.

Okay, so it was only a little kiss, Larten kept telling himself while he lay in bed all day. He couldn't get to sleep, and he was busying himself with what went on with him and Arra.

"A little kiss," he said again. "Our lips barely touched…." His voice lowered. "…but, it was the best kiss I ever had." _Damn it! _He thought. _Larten, do not think like that! You are engaged to Elizabeth!_ He sat up, rubbing his orange head roughly with his left hand. "I wonder if she likes the book? Well, of course she does; she likes Shakespeare. I am sure it would not hurt to see her tonight. I am only going to see how she is doing. Elizabeth does not have to know. It is not a big deal." Larten sighed deeply, falling backwards against the pillow.

Arra's boredom took over her body. The small building they were residing it was boring; there were no books or anything to do. She got off the couch and tiptoed to the room where Mika's coffin was.

Through the wood, she could hear his breathing. He slept peacefully until she gently rapped on the lid. She heard a groan from the inside.

"What?" He asked, opening the coffin a fraction of an inch, one eye open. "What is it, Arra?" He yawned loudly.

"I'm going out, okay?" She said.

"Out? Where?"

"Just out; there's nothing to do here, so why can't I go somewhere?"

"I have no objections to you exploring the town. Just do not go anywhere you are not supposed to."

She scowled at the tone of his words. "I can't go over there, Mika anyway. He's asleep, just like you." Mika fell back asleep, so she closed the coffin and left the room.

Outside, the sky was shrouded with grey clouds, snow falling gently from the skies. Arra smiled up at it; it looked so white, so pure.

She shivered, noticing she did not have a scarf with her. Her scarf was at her parent's house, but she didn't dare go back there. She would rather freeze than step into that house again.

She started kicking an old can she found in the street.

"Even out here, it's boring," Arra said, kicking the can so hard it landed in the gutter. She groaned.

"Something wrong?" A creepy kind of voice asked.

Arra turned around quickly, heart pounding in fear.

Standing before her was a short, fat man with white hair, glasses, a yellow raincoat, and boots. Beside him were two or three short blue-hooded people. She looked at them inquisitively.

"Who are you?" Arra asked, bringing her eyes to the fat man in front of her.

"Desmond Tiny," the man said grinning. He shook her head. "Oh, aren't you a gorgeous young lady?"

"Thank you?"

"You should thank me; I don't call many young ladies 'gorgeous.' You really are." He stroked her cheek with his thumb, his grin widening when she flinched. "Arra Sails, right?"

"H-how do you know my name?" She asked, getting ready to run for her life.

"I know many things, Miss Sails," he replied. "I know you are a half-vampire, I know that Mika Ver Leth is your mentor, and I know you have feelings for Larten Crepsley." Arra's eyes widened. "Yes, I know quite a lot about you."

"But… how?"

"It's best not to ask questions. I come here to give you advice."

"Advice? For what?" She asked.

"Your romantic problems," Mr. Tiny said. "I believe you should go for it."

"But… Larten is engaged," she mumbled.

"Have it your way," he said, waving a hand and escorting his Little People down the street. Arra watched as he turned the corner and left her sight.

She shook her head, unsure what to make of what the mysterious man just told her. Sure, she did have feelings for Larten, but she would rather stay alone forever if it meant ruining his engagement. Elizabeth was such a nice lady who let her stay in her home, so she was in her debt.

Arra decided to completely ignore Mr. Tiny's words, and continued her walk through town.

She decided to check out some shops. She went to a clothes store and picked up a red fleece scarf.

Wrapping it around her neck, Arra smiled sweetly, thinking of the generous vampire.

"Oh, Arra!" Elizabeth said as she spotted her. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine!" Arra replied, smiling hugely.

"What a nice scarf," she commented, gently touching it with her fingers. "Where did you get it?"

"At that shop over there." She pointed out the shop where she bought the scarf.

"You are doing okay with that Mika fellow?" Elizabeth asked, staring at her seriously.

"Yes; everything is great."

"Vur and I would love for you to come back sometime. How about tonight? For dinner."

Arra didn't answer immediately; she knew Mika would disapprove of it, but if she told him that Elizabeth was going to be there, then he should have no problem.

"I'll have to ask Mika," she said, "but I think I might be able to come. If I don't show up, it means he said no."

"Oh, he is more than welcome to come as well!" Elizabeth laughed. "The more the merrier!"

"Thank you for the invitation, Elizabeth." _I would never do anything to hurt her, _she thought. _She's far too nice._ "Well, I should get going! Hopefully, I will be there."

"I hope you do."

Arra waved goodbye as she went back the way she came, to the small building where Mika was sleeping.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Nighttime came faster than Arra expected. She spent the rest of the day drawing random doodles in a small notebook she found in one of the drawers of the house, and reading Hamlet. Every time she read it, she thought of how fun it would be to read this with Larten, but he couldn't read, so that's out of the question. Then, she had the idea of reading to him. That would be equally fun!

"Arra," Mika said, walking into the room sluggishly, "how did it go in town today?"

"Fine," she replied, drawing a heart onto her page. "Oh, yeah, want to go to Larten's for dinner?"

"Dinner?" He repeated.

"Yeah; Elizabeth invited me when I ran into her in town."

"Arra, I don't think…"

"Come on, Mika! Elizabeth is going to be there!"

He sighed, pushing his black hair back with his right hand. "Alright," he said, "but, I'm not going. I have some stuff to take care of."

"Like what?"

"Hunting. I'll bring you back some." He revealed the vial he was going to use.

"Can't it wait?"

"No. Now, if you're going to leave, then leave." He pointed to the door.

Arra nodded, closing her notebook and hiding it underneath the couch. She got up, dusting off her dress; the floor was pretty dusty.

"See you later, then," she said, waving as she opened the door.

"Don't be too late, alright?"

"What are you, my father?" She chuckled.

"No, if I were your father, I would be abusive." She flinched. "I'm sorry; that was out of line."

"It's fine," she said. "I'll see you later."

She left the house before a very guilty Mika could say anything else.

"Great, Mika," she muttered. "Why did you have to go and say that? I better not break down there."

Arra knocked gently on the door, extremely nervous. Larten answered the door, almost slamming it when he saw she was behind her.

"Hey!" She yelled.

"Sorry," he said, opening the door before it slammed all the way. "What are you doing here?" He said in a furious whisper. "You do know that that kiss meant nothing, right?'

"I know that," she whispered back. "Elizabeth invited me for dinner."

"She… what?"

"Yeah, go and ask her."

"I shall. Elizabeth!" Larten called out. Elizabeth scurried to the door.

"Arra, you made it!" She squealed, grabbing the girl's hand and leading her into the house. Larten looked utterly confused.

"What is going on here?" He asked.

"I invited Arra for dinner," Elizabeth replied. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Well, I was certainly surprised," he said, shooting a glance at Arra, who smiled innocently. "Damn you and your cuteness," he mumbled so no one could hear.

Elizabeth led Arra into the dining room; Arra had never been in there before.

She sat across from Larten, and Elizabeth sat next to him.

He nervously twiddled in his fingers in his lap.

"Dinner is served," a servant said, putting a big silver platter with a top on it on the table. He opened it up, and Arra almost fell out of her chair when she laid her eyes on the most beautiful turkey she had ever seen.

"Astounding, is it not?" Larten asked, smirking at her gaping face.

"Yes," she replied, staring at the bird in front of her. "Even during Christmas, we never had a dinner like this."

"Oh, really?" Elizabeth frowned, taking a sip of wine that the servant just poured. "That is rather sad, I believe."

"It is," Arra agreed, "but, we were a poor family, so there was really nothing we can do about it."

"How are things with Mika?" Larten asked, holding his cup of wine in his hands and swishing it around as he kept his eyes on Arra.

"Things are good. I suspect we'll be moving soon."

"Why?" Elizabeth asked.

"Well, I don't think he likes to stay too long in one place."

"Ah. Do you drink wine?"

"I've never… had it," she said, blushing.

"Never had it?" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"You don't need to act so surprised," Arra told her. "I _did _come from a poor family."

"Apologies. "Why, it's the most prestigious drink out there. Maddy, pour her a glass."

"Yes, ma'am," Maddy, the servant said, bowing slightly and pouring red wine into Arra's glass.

Her hand was about to grasp the glass, but she pulled away at the last minute. She shook her head, uncertainly.

"I don't know," she said, turning redder and redder by the second. Elizabeth smiled, urging for her to go on. Arra took a little sip, and she beamed. "Wow; that is good."

"I told you," Elizabeth said proudly. "Arra, you really should find someone to spend your life with." She held Larten's hand as she said this. "I think you will be very happy with someone… just like Vur." She smiled at him; he smiled back nervously.

"Uh…" Arra couldn't think of anything to say, so she just nodded.

After dinner, Arra wrapped her new scarf around her neck, not daring to tell anyone that she got it because it reminded her of Larten, and headed to the front door.

As she opened it, a hand closed it.

Larten was standing over her.

"It is late," he told her. "Elizabeth, I am going to take her home."

"Oh, that's a great idea," Elizabeth said, sitting down on her favorite chair. "It is pretty late."

"Oh, that won't be necessary," Arra said.

"Do not argue. I will be back shortly, Lizzie."

"Of course; good night, Arra."

"Good night," Arra said as Larten pushed her out the door. "Do you need directions?"

"Hold on…" Larten closed his eyes for a few minutes. "Yes, I will need directions," he told her after he opened his eyes again. "Mika is in someone's house at the moment collecting blood, and so I have no idea where you are supposed to reside. So, come on." He grabbed her hand and they began walking through the darkened streets.

"Larten…" Arra started. "About that kiss…"

"It was nothing!" He snapped. "Okay?"

"Okay," she said, looking down at her feet, causing Larten to become exceedingly guilty.

"I am sorry for my snapping at you," he said, "but… I do not want to believe it was anything more."

"I understand."

They continued walking until they reached her residency.

Larten opened the door for her.

"Larten," she said again. "You can believe what you want, but I believe it was something more."

"Y-you do?" His heart jumped in his throat. She nodded. "Arra… Damn it… I… I actually feel the same way."

"You do?" Arra almost squealed, but stopped herself before doing so.

Larten smiled tenderly, taking her face in his hands and kissing her.

She sank into the kiss at once.

Larten knew it was a bad idea, he knew he should stop, but he just couldn't. He was enjoying the closeness, and so was she.

The kiss was short-lived when Mika yelled out at them.

"What in the hell are you two doing?" He asked.

"Nothing!" Arra yelled.

"Really? Because it sure did look like something there." He pointed to them. Larten nervously touched his scar nervously, trying to avoid confrontation. "Larten, I'm surprised at you."

"To be honest, Mika, I am as well. However, my feelings are my own; I cannot help how I feel."

"You have to learn," he told him. "You are engaged; you cannot go around locking lips with my assistant. I won't allow it."

"Who are you to tell me what I can and can't do?" Arra asked, voice rising in every sentence.

"You think it is easy to betray someone?" Mika asked. "I thought you were fond of this Elizabeth person. Are you willing to break her trust like that?"

"Well…" She trailed off; Mika was right.

"Continue your affair, if you must," he said, glancing from her to Larten. "I am not too keen on the idea, but I can see that forbidding it won't do any good. I just hope you know what you're getting into."

"Do not worry about us, Mika," Larten said. "I know that I am doing the right thing."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

And since that night, Larten and Arra met, continuing their relationship. Larten hated lying to Elizabeth about to where he was going, but his heart would not let him rest without the taste of that half-vampire's lips.

He never went too far with her, and she was grateful for that. If he did that, it would make her think that's all he wanted. Instead, he sat with her by the lake, tenderly running his fingers through her silky, dark hair. He loved many things about her, but he loved her eyes the most. That gorgeous emerald green brought the blood rising in his cheeks.

"It's an accident," she said one night when they were taking a stroll through the streets of Paris; they were careful not to hold hands or show their affections too strongly. A lot of people knew Larten and of his engagement of Elizabeth. They would certainly run and tell her everything.

"What is?" He asked.  
"Our relationship," she whispered. "We're accidentally in love." He chuckled.

"I suppose we are. But, it is the best accident that has ever occurred in my life."  
"You're just saying that."  
"Not at all, Arra. My spirits have risen so high when I have been with you."

"This is the happiest I've been in ages. I don't regret leaving home. Well, I regret leaving my sister, but…"  
"You have a sister?" He asked when they stopped at a small Paris café.

"Her name is Ellen. She's younger than me. My parents are kind to her. They were kind to me also, when I was that age. I hope they don't turn on her like they did against me."  
"I am sure everything will be alright."

She smiled at him, and almost went to kiss him, but stopped herself.

"I am sorry we cannot do that," he said.  
"No, I understand."

"Vur, is that you?" A voice said, causing their heads to turn.

"Ah, Gregory," Larten said, waving at the man approaching them.

"I haven't you seen in a while Uh…" He glanced over at Arra. "Who's this?"  
"Oh, um…" Larten cleared his throat. "This is a friend of mine, Arra Sails. Elizabeth and I took her in after she left her home."  
"Why would she do that?"

"I would rather not say," Arra spoke up. "It's my business."  
"Fair enough," Gregory said, shrugging his shoulders. "So, how've you and Elizabeth been? Tying the knot anytime soon?"  
"Oh, things have been great. And we have not set a date yet."  
"Well, tell me when you do." He patted his shoulder. "I'm going to attend!"  
"Of course."

Gregory smiled and walked down the street.

"That was close," Arra said, sipping her tea.  
"I agree," Larten replied, sighing deeply. "What are we to do? We cannot keep this charade going on forever."  
"Do you think it best if…" She gulped and was unable to finish her question.  
"What?" He asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Do you think it best if we stop our meetings?" She looked up at him from her tea.

"Oh…" He sounded hurt. "If that is what you want, I will not object. Of course, it may be for the best, until we get things straightened out, of course," he added quickly, showing her that he still cared deeply for her.

"Yeah," Arra said, setting her cup on the table and pushing her chair out. She dusted her skirt off with her hands and bowed slightly to Larten. "You know where you can find me when you come up with a solution."  
"Arra," he said, getting up as well and facing her. "Do not think for one minute that this affects my feelings. I care for Elizabeth, I truly do. And I want to find some way to stay with you all the while sparing her feelings."  
"You know what? I understand. I care about her as well, so…" She left her sentence hanging. "I better get back to Mika."

"Yes. Do you want me to walk you home?"

"Kind of," she confessed, blushing.

"Alright then."

Larten stood close to her as he paid for the tea and escorted her back to the shabby looking building Mika and she were residing.

During their walk, they found it extremely difficult to muster enough courage to start up a conversation.

Every time Larten would try to speak, his mouth would suddenly go dry. Arra made no attempt to speak; she knew she couldn't think of anything worth saying.

"Thank you," she said when they finally reached the shack.  
"For what?" Larten asked.

"For being the one person who can make me feel like this."

"It is nothing to thank me for," he said.

"It's everything. Thank you." She stood up on her tiptoes and gently placed a kiss on his pale cheek, which reddened at the contact. "Even if things don't work out, thank you."

He could think of nothing to say, and just stared at her until she went inside and shut the door.

He rubbed the scar running down the left side of his face as he slowly turned and walked away, heading back to his home, where Elizabeth was waiting with a warm smile and cup of tea, unaware of his secret love for another.  
Author's note: Sorry this one was so short! I couldn't think of a lot for this chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Mika returned later that night, surprised to see Arra asleep on the ratty couch. She usually stayed up halfway through the night before she finally got tired. He quietly closed the door when he came inside. The sound, however, made its way through Arra's advanced hearing, though not as advanced as Mika's or Larten's, and her eyes fluttered a few times.

"Sorry," Mika said, his hand still on the door handle.

"Oh, what?" She asked, sitting upright. "Oh, you're back."  
"You were asleep."  
"Thank you, Monsieur Obvious," she retorted.

"No, I meant that you never sleep this early. Is something on your mind?"

"No."

"I can tell when you're lying to me," Mika said seriously, sitting next to her on the couch. Even though she didn't return his feelings, he could not help caring for her as he did.

"Larten and I are taking a break," she admitted, braiding some of hair as she spoke. It was a nervous habit of hers. Mika let out a sigh of relief.

"Maybe this for the best, Arra. This relationship of yours is no good. Larten is in a relationship with a kind woman. He has the choice to step away from the clan and spend his life with her. I know I told you before that he will be going to council, but to be honest, I can't be sure."  
"But, she doesn't know about the vampire deal!"  
"In time, I am sure Larten will tell her. Perhaps she'll accept, perhaps she won't. You can never know. I think her love for Larten is strong enough to see past that. Perhaps she will let him blood her so they can stay together."  
Arra's fists tightened around her skirt.

"I am sorry if I upsetting you," Mika went on, "but it's the truth."  
"Why are you telling me the truth?" She asked, staring at the peeling wallpaper on her right side.  
"Because you are my assistant, of course. I must look after you."  
"No. That's not why. It's part of the reason, but you think by telling me all this that I will magically fall in love with you." Mika flinched. "I knew it!"  
"That's not it at all, Arra!" He yelled. "Yes, I care about you, maybe more than you care about me, but this is for your own good. I just want you to choose someone who isn't going to fail you. That could be me, or it could be anyone else. Except Larten."  
"What do you have against him? Are you jealous of him?"  
"That's hardly the point. I am angry with him for his involvement with you, especially since he has already committed himself to another!"

"He can fix it," Arra pressed on.

"No, he can't. No matter how much you want to believe it, he can't fix this. Please, try to understand."  
"It's just a break, you know," she told him, undoing the braids in her hair, and then restarting. "Nothing permanent."  
"We'll see about that," Mika said, rising from his seat and heading to the room.

Before Arra could say anything else, he already slammed the door shut, telling her that the conversation was over.

She stopped her braiding, laid her head against the torn pillow, and fell asleep, thinking of all that Mika had told her.

Meanwhile, Desmond Tiny sat up in a nearby tree, his yellow booted feet hanging off the side of the branch, and sucking on a pipe. He had a book in his hands. He callously tossed it away, and wiped his hands as though the book was tainted. The blue hooded people crawled up the tree to join their master.

"He cannot stay with that human," he muttered loudly. "It will unravel all of my plans, my most ingenious plans."  
"You mean your plans for bloodshed?" A celestial woman, hanging off another branch, asked. She wore a flowing white robe with long blonde hair. Her eyes were a soft blue color, and her dark makeup was bright and noticeable on her pale face.

"Why, of course, Evanna," Mr. Tiny said, smirking. "What else?"  
"You are lucky I am neutral on this whole ordeal," she told him, twisting over the branch to sit on it.

"I suppose I am."  
"What do you plan to do?" Evanna asked.

"Now, now, dearest daughter, why would I give away my intentions? No, it's best to watch the game to find out. Just be patient. Good things come to those who wait."  
"Yes, I have heard that saying before."  
Mr. Tiny turned his attention back to Mika and Arra's shack, a bloodthirsty grin spreading across his face.

Larten lay in bed, unable to sleep the following day. His thoughts strayed to Arra, and his decision to stay away from her until things got sorted out.

Elizabeth stayed home that day-Larten expected her to go shopping and leave him to his thoughts- and stayed with him.

She cuddled next to him, resting her head on his chest.

He didn't look at or say anything to her.

What was there to say?

He knew she wasn't for him.

He thought he loved her, but if he couldn't even give her his real name, how much could she be worth to him? All he heard from her was "Vur, Vur, Vur."

"Something's troubling you, sweetheart," she said, hoping to spark some sort of conversation.

"Not really," he replied. "Just thinking."  
"About what?"  
"Our wedding," he lied.

"We need a date!" She squealed. "Soon, I hope?"  
"Not too soon. Planning is everything."  
"True, true. We do have to create a guest list," Elizabeth said, counting off things on her fingers. "Of course we'll invite Louise, Janet, Gregory, Christopher, Hannah, Robert… Oh, there's so many! Oh, let's also invite Arra and Mika."  
Larten, who was sipping a glass of water at this moment, dropped the glass in surprise. He caught it quickly before it met an untimely death on the floor and set it back on the nightstand.  
"Are you sure about inviting _them_?" He asked, his throat going dry.  
"Why not? We made friends with them, didn't we?"  
"I suppose. But, we know do not know them that well."  
"It'll be fine, trust me." She kissed his nose lightly.

"Alright," he said, defeated. "What else is there?"  
"Flowers, of course. And a dress. A beautiful white one, that goes down to my ankles, but still flows elegantly. With long sleeves, and jewels around the bodice."

Larten began to blush as he visualized Arra Sails wearing that dress, with her hair braided and a beautiful smile on her lips. Elizabeth took no notice of this, and continued to talk about the wedding.  
"A beautiful cake will be made," she went on. "White with pink flowers made of frosting."  
"Sounds delicious," Larten replied, even though he wasn't so fond of sweets.

"I can't wait for this day to come," Elizabeth sighed, pressing her hand against his and smiling up at him.

"Yes."

Mr. Tiny quickly, yet silently walked through the darkened streets of London at midnight.

"Little People," he called out to his blue hooded minions, "do not stray too far behind."  
The Little People hurried to catch up with their master. "Evanna, are you coming?"  
"I am neutral," Evanna replied.  
"Just watch the fun," her father said. "And get out of that ridiculous form! We don't want people wondering. Try something a little more casual."  
Evanna nodded, closed her eyes, and muttered some sort of enchantment. When her eyes opened, her white robe was now a blue dress, similar to the ones Arra and Elizabeth wore.

"Is this better?" She asked her father, who merely smiled and nodded.

Mr. Tiny's eyes scanned the area as he walked.

His grin widened when he spotted a man walking out of a bar. The man staggered and fell down the steps.

"Never mind," Mr. Tiny said quickly. "I wish to speak to someone who isn't completely intoxicated."

"Gregory," another man said, opening the door and running down the steps to examine his fallen friend, "did you have to drink so much ale?"  
"Ale is… hic! Good," Gregory slurred.  
"Promise you won't drink like this at Vur and Elizabeth's wedding. We don't need you ruining their special day."  
"Ohohohoh," Mr. Tiny laughed, gaining the man's attention.

"Yes?"

"I'm afraid to inform you there won't be a wedding."  
"What?"  
"What is your name?"  
"Matthew Higgins. Why?"  
"No reason." Mr. Tiny gestured for him to come forward.

Matthew glanced at his friend, wondering whether or not he should go. He decided to approach the stranger due to his curiosity. "Yes, sir?"

Mr. Tiny led Matthew into the dark alleyway, laughing.

Evanna sat down on the steps of the bar, the Little People sitting beside her as rain started to fall from the sky.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"It's raining," Arra observed when she was about to go out that following day. She did not have an umbrella, so the idea of going out was out of the question.

She sat down on the floor, arms crossed, unable to believe her luck.

"First this whole deal with Larten, and now this!" She shouted.

"Of course," Mika said from behind her, "it is your own fault about the ordeal with Larten. You did pursue a relationship with him despite the fact he is engaged. I really can't say the rain is your fault, however."

"Please, don't start about that," Arra muttered.

"I will continue to rant about it until you see the error of yours. Besides, we have stayed here far too long. We must leave tonight."

Arra turned around to face him, her eyes huge.

"What? We're leaving?"

"Yes. As I have said, your relationship is going nowhere, and I have no business here."

"Mika," she started.

"No," he snapped, cutting her off. "No more pleading. This is _wrong. _You mustn't mope about this, and we must be off. Luckily, it is raining, so we can leave sooner than intended."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Arra shouted, rising to her feet. "You can leave, but I'm staying!"

"And where are you to go, Miss Sails?" Mika asked, his tone colder than usual. "You cannot provide for yourself staying this horrid house, and you cannot stay with them. And you certainly cannot go home to abusive parents. Think about your own wellbeing for once, and then come to a decision. I trust you don't need to think about it long."

"I can get a job," she told him. "I can get a job, and find a place to stay."

"Who in their right mind would give a woman a job?" He asked. "You know as well as I do that this time period is not particularly kind to females. You will not be able to fend for yourself. And your precious Larten won't be coming to your rescue."  
His words were like poison. No, they were worse than that. As far as she was concerned, Mika's words were a poison tipped blade, intent on ripping through her chest and slowly killing her.

"You want me to suffer," Arra accused him.

Mika gaped at her.

"You are not making any sense!" He shouted. "If I wanted you to suffer, I would let you do whatever the hell your little heart desires. I would want to see you fall to the ground, helpless, no money, no home, no life. I am trying to prevent you from going down that path, Arra. Please, do not accuse me of something so treacherous."

Arra was at a loss for words. She fiddled with her fingers. Finally, she nodded.

"You're right," she said almost inaudibly. "But, you don't understand, Mika. I love him. I truly do."

"I know," he replied. "I know."

"I'm going out," Arra said, heading towards the door.

"Wait, you don't have an umbrella," he pointed out.

"I don't care."

She opened the door and stepped into the rain.

Arra stepped through the rain, her hair and clothes soaked. She didn't care; her mind was so full of other thoughts.

As she was walking, the rain suddenly stopped, though she could still hear the raindrops hitting the pavement.

She looked up to see an umbrella shielding her from the water.

"Hello," Larten said, holding out the red umbrella over her head.

She nearly fell over in both shock and happiness, but she managed to contain herself.

"What are you doing here?" She asked in a whisper.

"Could not stay away," he admitted, smiling.

"Seriously?"

"Somewhat. I was just out on the town, and you happened to be here."

"But…" Arra pointed upwards toward the sky.

"The rain is in my favor."

"Mika did mention something about that. I think we're leaving tonight."

"W-what?" He certainly wasn't expecting this.

"That's what he told me."

"But, you cannot just leave!" He whispered.

"I don't know what to do. I do care about you, Larten," Arra said, "but I don't want to hurt Elizabeth. She's been so very kind to me."

Larten held his tongue, still holding the umbrella over Arra's head.

There was a crash of thunder, followed by stronger rain.

"Come with me," Larten said, grabbing her hand and pulling her. "We need to find somewhere to hide until the rain lets up."

Arra wanted to refuse, but he gave her no chance to speak.

He led her to another small shack. This one wasn't as bad as the one she was staying in. She wondered why Mika even brought her to such a place when this was one was so close to town. He probably had his reasons, hoping that if they were farther away from town, she would have no reason to go see Larten.

"We will stay here for a little bit," Larten said when he closed the door behind them and shook off the rain from his umbrella.

Arra sat on the floor; this shack didn't have any furniture. She ran her fingers through her moist hair, ridding it off tangles. She would have to take a bath soon.

Larten pulled out a comb out of his pocket, went behind her, and gently started combing the tangles out of her hair.

"Thank you," Arra said, blushing.

Despite the fact that she had been living in a shack for a few days, Arra's hair gave off the scent of strawberries, the shampoo she had used her first night when she stayed with Larten and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth wasn't too fond of strawberries; she preferred using the mint shampoo. Larten, however, adored the scent of strawberries.

He took in a deep breath, stopped halfway through coming Arra's hair, and laid his head on her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Forgive me," he whispered, kissing her neck.

"Larten, stop it!" Arra shrieked, pushing him backwards. "Stop it! Unless you want another scar," she said threateningly, pulling the comb out of her hair and pointing it towards him.

As he had imagined, she grew extremely angry with his actions.

"Is that all you wanted?" She screamed, throwing the comb down. "How could you?"

"Arra," he started, getting to his feet and brushing off his pants. "It is nothing like that. I was overwhelmed, overpowered. I love you. I truly do."

She knew she was telling the truth. She learned a long time ago from her mother, before she somehow turned against her, that you can tell when a girl is in love by her smile, and you can tell when a boy is in love by his eyes. Larten's eyes were soft, honest; she knew just by looking into his eyes.

She didn't say anything. She only gently pressed her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. He was taken aback, but he gladly returned the gestured.

"I am sorry," he said.

"It's fine," she murmured. "I love you, too." She loosened her grip on him in order to look up at his face.

He smiled, tenderly wiping the rain from her cheeks. He brought his lips to hers.

After their kiss, he sat down with her, grabbed the fallen comb, and continued combing her hair.

When he was all finished, he ran his fingers through her hair, letting the silky feeling rub against his flesh.

"Larten, I want you to do it," Arra said, raising her fingers.

"W-what?" He gasped.

"If anyone is to fully blood me, I want it to be you."

"But, Arra."

"Please."

He sighed heavily. Using his fingers nails, he made incisions on his fingers, then on hers.

He placed their fingers on each other and closed his eyes.

They both felt the blood pumping from their bodies.

When the full vampire blood hit her heart, Arra almost collapsed, but she kept her ground.

Larten grimaced in pain as her blood went inside his body.

After a while, he opened his eyes.

"It is done," he said, taking her hand and rubbing spit onto her fingers to close the wounds.

"I'm a full vampire?" Arra asked, staring at her fingers.

"Yes."

"Of all the idiotic things to do," Mika growled when Larten escorted Arra.

"It's not an idiotic thing. It was my choice!" Arra snapped. "It doesn't matter. You were going to blood me anyway!"

"When you were ready! You are far from prepared!"

"I don't care. I think it was the best decision I've ever made."

"Do not lecture me as well, Mika," Larten said before Mika had the chance to even think about turning on the orange-haired vampire. "I did what she requested of me."

"It was a stupid thing to do! Do you realize what you've done? Arra is not ready to be full creature of the night!" Mika shouted.

"Arra, I am going to go," Larten said, turning for the door handle.

"No. I'm going with you," Arra announced, walking towards him. "Let's go."

She grabbed Larten's hand and dragged him out.

Mika groaned, watching from the doorway. He adjusted his black cloak and followed.

"Maybe this was a bad idea," Larten said, as he and Arra were walking through the rain.

"What? You're regretting it?" Arra asked, full of disbelief.

"N-no. I just… It is nothing."

"Let's hope so."

"I still don't approve of this," Mika said, catching up with them.

"What are you doing here?" Arra spat.

"Just following," he replied smoothly.

"Well, leave, please."

"I'm not," he told her, making her anger rise. "I have every right to be here, Arra."

"Then, follow, if you wish."

As they were walking, Larten glanced over his shoulder nervously at Mika, who seemed to have no problem glaring at him. He shrugged, tightened his grip on Arra's hand, and turned his head around, attempting to rid himself of his uncomfortable thoughts.

The rain started to fall harder as they neared Elizabeth's house. Larten took off his cloak and placed it around Arra's shoulders. She smiled.

Elizabeth was standing outside, her umbrella shading her from the falling rain.

Larten didn't get a good look at Elizabeth until he reached the house, and saw that her face was somber, not cheerful as it usually was.

"Elizabeth," Larten called out. "Is something the matter?"

"You tell me," Elizabeth murmured softly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. She lowered her umbrella, allowing the rain to fall against her head. "Someone told me something. Something strange. I'm not sure I believe them."

"Who told you what?" Larten asked.

"Matthew told me that…" Elizabeth started, but stopped.

"I told her you were a vampire," Matthew said, stepping out of the house.

"What?" Mika shouted.

"Someone else told me," he explained. "A fat man with a yellow rain coat and boots, followed by Little People in blue cloaks."

"Mr. Tiny?" Arra gasped.  
Larten stared at her in confusion. "How do you know Mr. Tiny?" He asked her.

"Oh, uh… I ran into him a few days ago. He told me he supported our…" Arra trailed off, not wanting to reveal their relationship in front of Elizabeth.

Larten turned his attention back to Matthew, who stared at him with hatred burning in his eyes.

Mr. Tiny and Evanna watched in the shadows. Mr. Tiny's eyes glistened with malice while Evanna observed with an expressionless face.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Admit it, Vur! If that it is your real name," Matthew snarled, ready to attack if he needed to.

Larten did not say anything.

"Are they vampires too?" He shouted, pointing at Mika and Arra.

"Do you see the mess you've gotten us into?" Mika yelled. "I swear to the Vampire Gods, Larten, you act like a teenager with too many hormones."

"Shut up," Larten whispered.

"'Larten?'" Elizabeth repeated softly, but loud enough for them to hear. "Your name is L-Larten?"

"Please, do not see too much into this, darling," Larten replied. "But, yes, my name is not Vur. It is Larten."

"How did you get the name 'Vur?' Matthew screamed. "Did you steal it from the person you sucked dry?"

"For your information, Mr. Higgins, Vur is the name of my cousin who was tragically murdered when I was just a boy. So, think twice before you make such wicked accusations."

"Mr. Tiny told me how to determine if someone is a vampire," Matthew went on, ignoring the heat rising to his face with embarrassment. He approached Larten and stared at his fingertips, the moonlight illuminating them. When he saw the scars, he screamed, tumbling backwards. "He is a vampire!" He shouted, pointing a shaky finger at him.

"They are as well," Mr. Tiny said, laughing. "Lift up your hands, Mika and Arra."

"I will do no such thing," Mika spat at once, but Arra was immersed by Mr. Tiny's extraordinary power. She lifted her hands, revealing her ten scarred fingertips. She, under Mr. Tiny's control, grabbed Mika's hands and lifted them up as well. "Hey, cut it out, Arra!"

"Oh, my god! They are all vampires!" Matthew shrieked. "Everyone! Everyone!" He shouted to all the houses as loudly as he could. "Vampires, vampires! This is not a drill! There are real vampires!"

"Matthew, shut the hell up!" Someone yelled, poking their head through a window. "I'm trying to sleep here! The rain's making me drowsy."

"Get your pitchforks and torches, hurry!"

"Stop with your superstitions! This isn't the first time a 'vampire' set foot in Paris."

"That was a vampire!" Matthew protested. "How else would you explain the bodies in the alleyways sucked completely dry?"

Mika and Larten tensed up. Arra was confused.

"What's wrong?" She whispered.

"I'll explain later," Mika told her.

"But…"

"Later!"

Arra sighed, turning her attention back to the quarreling neighbors. While they argued, Elizabeth cautiously approached Larten, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Vu….I mean, Larten," she said. "It's true?"

"I am afraid it is," Larten said. "I am sorry."

Elizabeth turned her head away. "I feel so… betrayed."

"Imagine how she would feel if she found out he's cheating on her," Mika laughed, whispering to Arra, who pushed him away. "Hey, have some respect."

"Earn it, then," Arra replied.

"James, I'm serious!" Matthew said. "They are vampires! THEY ARE!"

"I am a vampire!" Larten finally shouted. "I admit it." Before Matthew could start screaming again, he said, "But, it was not I that murdered those people nor was it any other vampire. Those creatures are called 'Vamapaneze.' They broke away from the vampire clan and made their own. They are kin, but I do not follow their ways."

"Vampaneze?" Arra repeated, confusion filling her head.

"Oh, pay no attention to them, sweetie," Mr. Tiny spoke up, putting his arms around Arra's shoulders. "Just remember what I said. Continue your relationship. It is the best thing, after all."

"Is it?" Arra asked.

"Of course."

Matthew did not believe a word Larten said and immediately began calling for backup, telling everyone that he had admitted to his being a vampire.

People came out of their houses, including James, who was wielding a torch. The intensity of the torches was too much for the rain to put out. Some people had pitchforks. Gregory, who was still drunk, tried to attack, but ended up toppling over his own feet and into the mud. Any other night, this would be humorous, but there was no humor this night.

"Die, fiends!" Matthew growled, coming closer to Larten, with a torch he grabbed off some other neighbor. "Someone, give me a cross. We can burn him with that too."

"Ha!" Mika laughed. "Sorry, but you're wasting your time. Crosses, garlic, and holey water will have no effect upon us. We are not your horror story vampires. We are psychos, who murderer anyone. We are not so different from you, aside from the fact that we cannot endure sunlight for so long. But, as I think about it, you are even worse than we are." The humans looked at him in shock, muttering something about mental vampires. "I'm sorry to say that humans are idiots. Wars? Really? We try to avoid them while you lot seem to enjoy them."

"Enough talk!" James yelled. "We need these creatures out of our town!"

"You believe me, now?" Matthew asked, chuckling.

"They admitted it."

"Arra, get behind me," Mika ordered. "You have never been exposed like this before. Larten and I know what we're dealing with. We've been hunted before."

"So, that's where your scars came from?" Elizabeth yelled over the crowd. "You got them from hunters? It wasn't just some accident?"

"Most of them were from hunters, correct. Others were from other vampires. And…" He blushed a crimson red as he ran his thumb down the scar on his cheek. "…This one was from…." His eyes flickered towards Evanna who was lurking in the shadows, and he distinctly saw a small smile playing on her lips. "Never mind."

As the mob approached, Arra suddenly had a rush of adrenaline hit her body. She jumped up from behind Mika, running into the crowd. She easily kicked the torches and pitchforks out of their hands. Mika whistled impressively.

"Interesting," he murmured.

"You better stop them," Evanna told Mr. Tiny. "If they murder the vampires, your plan is as good as gone."

"You're right," Mr. Tiny said, standing the iron gates around Elizabeth's home. "Miss Elizabeth, come hither, if you will." He whispered something in her ear, which made her shudder.

"Stop it, all of you!" Elizabeth yelled. "Larten, I am extremely disappointed."

"I can hardly blame you," Larten replied.

"I cannot take the fact that you are a vampire." She took the ring off her finger and threw it against the ground; it clattered into the gutter. "It's over. I can't be with you."

"Well, let me just say something," Larten said, joining Mr. Tiny on the iron gate. "If Elizabeth had told me this weeks ago, I would be heartbroken, completely devastated. However, I am not. For, I am in love with the wonderful Miss Arra Sails." He held out his hand to Arra, who took it. He brought her with him on the gate. "I do apologize for the pain I put you through, Elizabeth, but you are correct; it can never be."

"Get the hell down from there," Mika ordered, pointing to the ground. "We can't linger here much longer. I fear they are itching for their weapons."

"I guess we are off!" Larten shouted, jumping from the gate with Arra. "Fare-thee-well, good people of Paris, France! Forget everything, alright? I can promise you I will not be back during _your _lifetime. At least, not this neighborhood."

With that, Larten, Arra, and Mika flitted away. Elizabeth watched with great shock in her eyes.

Mr. Tiny smiled hugely, retiring to the shadows with his daughter and Little People.

"All according to plan?" She asked.

"But, of course," he replied, his eyes glittering with lust. "If I didn't get those two together, he would never leave Paris to Vampire Mountain, join that freak show again, and meet those two young boys. There would be no Lord of the Vampaneze or Lord of the Shadows. They are just pawns in my worldwide game of chess."

Note: Thanks for the reviews. Sorry, it wasn't longer and sorry if the ending was a bit rushed.


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